Best Reason to Have a Heart Attack Near the Beverly Center (2011)

Having a heart attack? Direct your ambulance to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. Should you eventually need a heart transplant, you'll be in excellent hands. In 2010, Cedars did the most adult heart transplants in the United States — and in the world. Their 30-day postoperative mortality rate is under 2 percent. Their one-year survival rate is a whopping 92 percent — well above the national average of 89 percent. Why is the program here so good? They have a good supply of hearts, for one. OneLegacy, their organ-procurement organization, has the most organs available for transplant, so waits are shorter. Also, the chance of rejection is much lower. Nationally, nearly a third of transplanted hearts are rejected by the host body. Cedars' rejection rate is a mere 5 percent. Researchers here, it turns out, are pioneers in the realm of antirejection medications. Working with so many patients gives them a vast amount of data to draw from when trying to figure out what works and what doesn't. That, combined with a slew of talented doctors and nurses, is the best prescription for keeping the Grim Reaper's bony fingers off your ticker. 8700 Beverly Blvd., W. Hlywd. (800) CEDARS-1, cedars-sinai.edu.